LIKE MOTHER LIKE SON

The story focuses on three families. The Kinnear's, The Millsap's, and the Owen's. All different. They live very different lifestyles. Albert Kinnear the Librarian, who's parents came from Swindon but live in Pinetree Gardens, his father Jack is an engineer. He is a keen gardener and Pigeon fancier. Albert meets the daughter of Charlie and Elizabeth Millsap. They live on Kenton Road, in a bought property. He also is a pigeon man who has wangled his way into a chairman's job. he is a welder down the docks. No one is good enough for their daughter and they resent the relationship between Laura and Albert. Then there is William Owen(Willick) a roofing builder who lives in Cedarwood Avenue with two son's and a daughter. Alan is a jack the lad; he will sleep with any woman given the chance. Harry the youngest is a joiner and the brains in the family. Evelyn his daughter is twenty five and her father is pushing her to meet a man and get married so he can have grandchildren.

8. 8

At Christmas he loved to dress up as Santa Clause he would go outside and ring a bell and shout ho, ho, ho, then walk in with a giant sack of toys that he’d hidden in his shed at the allotment.

It broke his heart when she was ten years old and she told him that she knew it was him under that Santa suit.

The magic was gone and he thought he’d lost his little girl, but she sat on his knee and kissed him and told him that her daddy was still the best in the world. All of the pictures that she brought home from school were of her father in his garden with his pigeons. Her dad never forgot to come into her room and read her a story and to kiss her goodnight. Even now that she was grown up he would still knock on her door and come in for a kiss before going to bed.

“There’s summock else you ought to know as well Charlie.’

“What?’

“Our Laura has got herself a fella.’

“Charlie was crestfallen, his little girl was about to leave him; he knew that it would happen one day but not as soon as this.’

He would no longer be the centre of her world and her heart would go out to someone else.’

“Who is he Charlie asked his wife.’

He’s called Albert Kinnear and he’s a librarian.’

“A librarian be buggered.’ “When did she meet him?’

“Just today and he’s taking her to Keswick with a group of cub scouts in the morning. He’s a scout leader.

“Well at least he’s not some irresponsible layabout.’ How did she meet him?’

At the bus stop apparently.’

“Did she tell you where he lives?’

“He never told her, but according to Laura he doesn’t have a Geordie accent.’

There’s nothing wrong with having a Geordie accent Liz as long as it is used intelligently.’

“Our Laura doesn’t speak with a Geordie accent does she?’

“That’s because you drummed it into her that to speak slang was wrong.’

“She landed a good job today because she can speak correctly, not like some gutter snipe.’

“Marks and Sparks eh, Charlie had a big grin on his face as he went to her room and knocked on the door.’

“Hi Dad, has mam told you then?’

“Yes, and I’m very proud of you Laura, you have got yourself a good job there. Her father sat on the edge of her bed as he held her soft little hand. His were hard and callused with years of digging at the allotment garden and working down at the shipyard.